


How to Train Your Frank

by theforgetfulalchemist



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:14:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27113149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theforgetfulalchemist/pseuds/theforgetfulalchemist
Summary: When the Argo II gets caught in a sudden storm, the seven demigods of the prophecy are shipwrecked and discovered by a group of strange teenagers with oddly tame dragons, violent tendencies, and Viking helmets.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> originally uploaded to fanfic.net in 2014

"Valdez, are we lost?"

Frank was standing on the Argo's deck as he called over to Leo, who was steering. According to a map of the Mediterranean, they should have passed the Cape of Good Hope hours ago. Nor should the water be so dark.

"Of course not, dude! Festus has just…taken a little break, that's all."

"From what?"

"Navigating…?"

As Frank groaned, Percy ran up the stairs that led up from the cabins. He stopped at the top of the stairwell, out of breath, looking at them both.

"Guys, I don't…I don't know where we are."

"So?" Leo said. "Festus is guiding us. We'll be fine."

"I thought you said…"

"Shut it, Zhang!"

"No, you don't get it!" Percy insisted. "I always, always know our nautical bearings. But here…it's like I'm blind. Like when I tried to Iris message Annabeth before my memories came back."

They stared at him, Leo puzzled, Frank trying not to openly panic.

Just when the boys thought it couldn't get weirder, a thick fog wafted ominously onto the Argo, curling around their toes and coating the ship's flooring.

Jason appeared on the steps behind Percy.

"I saw the mist!" he said. "What's going on?"

"I wish we knew." Percy confessed. "Do you think this is capital M Mist?"

Leo hoped not. The last time he ran into the stuff he was cruelly tricked into thinking someone he didn't know was his best friend.

"I'm going to check on Piper!" Jason announced, taking the stairs back down two at a time.

"I'll go get Annabeth." Percy decided. "She'll know what's going on."

When he had left, Frank shifted nervously.

"I hope Hazel's okay. The sea is getting kinda rough."

As he finished saying this, he rocked forward and waved his arms wildly for balance.

"Yeah, that's o-"

Leo was cut off by a cannon-like blast and the main sail bursting into flames.

Frank stared in terror as a flaming beam fell directly above him.

Leo tackled him out of the way. At the same time another explosion ripped the burning sail off to rocket toward the ocean.

"Thanks, Valdez."

"Sure, Zhang."

It was getting hard for them to see. The mist was covering the ground for a few feet up now.

Frank and Leo dimly made out Percy and Jason returning with Annabeth and Piper. The boys had their swords, the girls their daggers.

Frank thought he saw Hazel in the back of the group and Percy gesturing to the fire, her coat, whispering something in her ear, and gently nudging her to the safety of the cabins.

It was now impossible to see anything and the sea was more turbulent than before. Riptide and Jason's coin-sword were jostled out of their hands by the Argo's seizure fits.

"Where is the fire coming from!?" Annabeth shouted over another cannonade.

"I don't know!" Percy bellowed.

"Where's Coach!?" Leo screamed.

"Asleep!" Jason answered.

Suddenly, the Argo was spinning as though caught in a whirlpool.

"Hang on!" Percy yelled, grabbing Annabeth's hand and pulling her down.

Everyone screamed and hung on for dear life.

"So, like…can I have dibbs on whatever's on this one, or…?"

"Tuffnut! That's awful! They may still be alive!"

"Astrid's right. We should look for survivors."

"Of course you'd side with her, Hiccup!"

"Well, she's right!"

"Yeah, and besides, you called dibs the last like, five times, already!"

"Snotlout, that wasn't my…oh, shh! Shh! I think he's waking up."

Percy groaned through a horrible headache.

As his vision cleared, a scrawny brown haired and freckled boy about his age in a fur vest and boots beamed in his face.

"Hey, there! How are you feeling?"

"Ugh…what happened…?"

"You were shipwrecked. You…"

"Mmmm…hm?"

Annabeth was regaining consciousness…to see a long haired blond boy examining her beaded camp necklace.

On instinct, she shoved him away and flipped him on his back, restraining him.

A little removed from them, another blonde girl smiled. She had braided hair and sported a skirt and belt with a skull motif that Nico would envy.

"I like this one. She hits Tuffnut."

"Man, blondes are supposed to be dumb like me!" Tuffnut grumbled.

"Tell me about it…" Leo slurred, slowly waking up. "Wait, who are you guys?"

The brown haired boy grinned.

"Good, it looks like you all survived. I'm Hiccup. The one your friend caught stealing is Tuffnut."

He glared disapprovingly at the other boy, who Annabeth was releasing.

"What? I like necklaces!"

Hiccup sighed.

"His twin sister over there's Ruffnut."

A girl who looked like a female version of her brother was helping Jason get Piper to her feet.

"Our violent blonde here is Astrid."

"I'm not that violent!"

"You punched seven things this morning."

Astrid threw her hands up and rolled her eyes but smiled at Annabeth warmly. She smiled back.

Astrid also grinned at Leo who was staring at her. He gulped and blushed.

"Astrid? Why do I recognize that name…?" Piper muttered,

"And the big guys resuscitating your big guy are Snotlout and Fishlegs." Hiccup continued.

A bulky black haired boy and an obese boy wearing the same vests and boots as Hiccup and the twins were pulling Frank up.

"Is anyone else on board your ship?" Hiccup asked.

"Hazel!" Frank cried.

He stumbled downstairs and emerged a few minutes later cradling her.

Her head was gashed wide open.

Astrid put her hands to her mouth.

"Oh gods, is she…?"

Frank shook his head.

"She's okay, just knocked out. Hedge is…still asleep."

"Okay, that's good." Hiccup said. "But she's gonna need medical attention. Uh, alright, guys, let's take 'em to my house."

Hiccup and his friends led them through what Percy thought looked like a historical reenactment park. The buildings were thatched, everyone wore old-timey clothing, there were sheep and cattle...

"Annabeth, what kind of place is this?" He whispered as they walked side by side.

"Offhand…? I'd say a tenth century Viking village."

"What."

"Give or take a century."

"Did you hit your head in that shipwreck?"

Annabeth smirked playfully.

"Give me some credit, Seaweed Brain. My head is fine."

Come to think of it, Percy noticed something he hadn't before.

All the kids they had just met except Hiccup and Astrid were wearing…Viking helmets.

"What the…?"

Just then, Jason leaned in to whisper with them.

"That Astrid girl said 'oh gods' when she though Hazel was dead. Do you think…?"

"...they're demigods?" Annabeth finished. "I don't know."

They arrived at a large, cozy looking cottage with smoke in the chimney.

"This is my house." Hiccup told them. "It's just me and my dad. Let's patch up this girl and we can talk."

Percy was shocked when he saw who the skinny teen's father was.

A hulking man with a long red beard braided in several places stoked a fire in the middle of the house.

"Dad!"

The huge man dropped his poker and rushed to his son.

"Thor Almighty! What happened to the poor lass?"

He scooped Hazel up from Frank. She fit easily in his hands.

"They were shipwrecked, Dad. She got hurt when they crashed."

"I'll see to it, don't you worry. Be back in a tic."

Hiccup sighed in relief and smiled at Percy as his father dashed upstairs.

"I'm sorry. This must be crazy for you guys."

"Where are we?" Percy asked.

"Berk. We're a village that…"

The cottage door burst opened and a black dragon, small by Peleus or Frank standards filled the doorway. It wagged its tail and perked up its ears (were those ears?) like a dog. He reminded Percy of Mrs. O'Leary.

He bounded inside and tackled Hiccup to the ground, licking him and roaring happily.

"…trains dragons. This is Toothless. Say hi, Toothless."

Toothless The Friendly Dragon grinned stupidly at them and chirped.

"That's what we think hit your ship. Wild dragons, that is. Not ours."

"Woah, seriously? That's so cool!" Percy exclaimed. "I've never seen more than one dragon in one place. You guys raise them?"

"Do you guys have a dragon, then?"

"No, but we have Frank." Percy said, gesturing to him.

Leo didn't want to mention Festus and scare them.

Snotlout stared in consideration.

"Is it because your f—"

"IT'S NOT BECAUSE I'M FAT!"

As Frank scowled, Hiccup's dad came back downstairs.

"She's restin', lads." He announced.

"Thanks, Dad." Hiccup said. He turned to the others. "While she sleeps that off, why don't you guys come with us to the mess hall? It's less crowded and it's not mealtime, so it's pretty much empty."

Percy nodded.

"That's a good idea. I want to figure out where the heck we are."

"You still couldn't tell?" Annabeth asked, alarmed.

Percy shook his head.

This seemed to confuse Hiccup and he shared a strange look with Astrid.

Still, they led the shipwrecked crew down a dirt path to a large community center set at the head of the village.

Along the way, dragons swooped overhead, more varieties than Percy had ever seen. There were large, traditional looking dragons, smaller bird-like dragons, and even miniature dragons scuttling on the ground.

Inside the building was a set up a bit different than Camp Jupiter's mess hall. Instead of small tables and cushions, there were several severe tables that could hold many people and long benches.

They sat at one, the demigods of the Argo on one side, the Apparently Viking Teenagers on the other.

The demigods formally introduced themselves. In turn, Hiccup and company explained the recent history of Berk. How they had killed dragons until Hiccup had befriended Toothless. How they were working to train the dragons instead.

"So you guys are really Vikings? Like, actually Vikings?" Leo gaped.

"Really." Hiccup confirmed. "Why?"

"There are kid Vikings?" Percy asked skeptically.

"We're not kids!" Tuffnut countered huffily.

"Yeah, I'm even getting scruff." Snotlout informed them proudly.

"You are not." Ruffnut scoffed.

"Are there no Viking clans where you're from?" Astrid wondered.

"Where are you guys from, anyway?" Hiccup asked.

"America." Percy answered. "Well, Frank's Canadian, but…"

"Never heard of those places." Hiccup commented. "But then, we haven't exactly traveled far until recently."

Annabeth shot Percy an I told you so look.

"Wait, what sea are we surrounded by right now?" Percy asked suddenly.

"The Baltic." Hiccup said.

"The Baltic?" Leo cried. "Man, I was way off course…"

"I told you…"

"Stuff it, Zhang."

Percy felt sick. What was going on? Was this the past? How? Was that Capital M Mist after all and magic was involved? Were they taken to another era or even dimension? was that possible? Or was this an illusion like Hazel's blackouts?

When they had shipwrecked, it had been midafternoon. Now the sun had fully set. Leo had since examined the Argo and had come back to report it was badly damaged.

"No problem." Hiccup said confidently. "We're also a village of master shipbuilders. We'll have you guys up and running in no time. But right now, it's almost dinner time. You guys should get ready to eat. We can see about your ship when it's light out again."

Percy stood on the top stair of the mess hall's porch in the night, illuminated by two torches attached to the building's walls.

There were no bugs buzzing. Percy figured it must be too cold for them.

Jason came through the huge double doors to join him.

"Percy, we can't stay here." He said. "Nico can't have more than two days. We have to leave. Now."

"I know. But the Argo's busted, Hazel's out of commission and I'm not going anywhere until I can read our bearings."

Jason opened his mouth to object when there was an explosion of fire over the village accompanied by piercing screeches.

"DRAGONS!" Came a shout from the town.

"Oh great, not again." Percy grumbled, uncapping Riptide.

As Jason followed his lead, everyone emerged from the mess hall.

"Are the dragons rebelling or something?" Piper asked nervously.

"No!" Hiccup shouted, the fire blasts roaring in everyone's ears. "I told you, ours aren't violent! These are wild dragons! This normally doesn't happen!"

"Well, it's happening now!" Leo snapped.

There was anarchy in the village. Dragons were dive-bombing and setting fires everywhere.

They spotted Hazel, her head bandaged, sprinting around the village and slashing with her cavalry sword.

Hedge was apparently awake too as they distinctly heard him yell at the dragons to die.

"We'll deal with it!" Hiccup insisted. "Guys, let's get to the arena, quick!"

"Wait!" Percy said. "Frank, can't you just…"

Frank was gone.

Everyone looked up at a loud roar to see a dragon far bigger than any of the attacking ones. It batted them out of the sky one by one. The ones it didn't get retreated.

The dragon landed in the village, careful not to crush anyone and in its place stood Frank, bouncing on his heels, stretching, and cracking his knuckles.

Hazel ran up and hugged him fiercely.

"Yes!" Percy cheered happily. "Way to go, big guy!"

Annabeth taped his shoulder and pointed to the Vikings.

They were all gaping at Frank.

"Did…did he just turn into a dragon and completely annihilate those other dragons?" Astrid murmured, terrified.

Hiccup looked at Percy in awe.

"I think you guys have some explaining to do yourselves."

Percy grinned sheepishly.

"I think you're right."


	2. Chapter 2

"What. Was that." Hazel breathed out incredulously as she panted up the mess hall stairs, Frank right behind her looking concerned. She looked woozy from blood loss and the sudden exertion of fighting off a horde of dragons.

"Dragons." Jason explained shortly.

"Noticed." Hazel grimaced. "I mean, what's going on? I woke up and Mr. Haddock said his son found us and then things started exploding."

They all brought her up to speed while Frank made her sit down and adjusted the bandage on her head that had become disheveled in the fight.

"So that's who we are." Hiccup concluded. "The only question is, who are you guys?"

"You..." Percy faltered. "…believe in gods, right?"

They nodded.

"Percy, no!" Annabeth said.

"They have dragons, Annabeth! And they believe in gods! There's no way they're completely mortal."

"Not completely…?" Hiccup began.

"We're the children of gods." Percy continued. "And I should prove it to you because right now you probably think I'm crazy."

There was a hushed silence. None of the Vikings knew how to take this.

Percy walked over to a barrel of water a few times bigger than a person, probably for dragons to drink out of.

He climbed in and submerged himself. Minutes passed.

"He's not coming up." Astrid said, panicked.

"Don't worry, he won't drown." Annabeth assured her. "Watch."

After much longer than humanly possible to hold your breath, he came up. Not even wet.

"What is going on?" Astrid whispered.

"Is that a miracle, like those Christians are always going on about?" Hiccup guessed.

"Nope!" Percy said cheerfully. "All me."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Show off." She teased him.

She turned to the Vikings.

"He can breathe underwater because his dad's the sea god."

"Oh! I remember now!" Piper exclaimed. "Astrid! She was a Norse goddess who was more or less a counterpart to my mom."

"And who…who's your mom?" Ruffnut asked in astonishment.

Piper winced apologetically.

"Aphrodite. But I'm nothing like her, I promise!"

Jason grimaced.

"Well, as long as we're telling secrets…"

He casually stuck his hands in his pockets and strode forward, each step carrying him higher into the air.

Fishlegs fainted.

After his friends revived him, the Vikings stared open mouthed as they explained there were two camps full of demigods.

Hiccup shook his head.

"Okay, I sorta get it. So what are you guys doing here then?"

"We were on a kind of quest." Percy explained. "It...well, it's hard to explain but our parents, the gods, they've sort of gone schizo."

"Schizo." Astrid repeated flatly.

"Er, that is, they're divided between two versions of themselves. But they gave us this mission to defeat Gaea who is basically Mother Earth gone Dark Side."

"We were on our way to finish off two of her children that are helping her." Jason said. "Twin giants."

"Twin giants who have my brother." Hazel added.

Hiccup looked at her in surprise. His expression suddenly became serious and determined.

"Well that settles it. We're taking a look at your ship right now."

"Giants." Astrid mouthed as Hiccup dragged her down the stairs with him.

"Aw man, what about dinner, Hiccup?" Snotlout griped, following them.

"It can wait. C'mon, guys."

Leo sat in the middle of the scorched and ruined deck of the Argo, scowling with his face half buried in a blueprint. He used a fire burning in his hand to see the paper under the dark sky as the others inspected the lower decks. He occasionally spat curses in Spanish under his breath.

"I have no idea what language that is, but I can tell what you're saying isn't exactly pretty." A sardonic voice said.

Astrid was coming up the stairs, giving Leo a friendly smile.

He swallowed hard.

"Uh…hi."

Gods, why couldn't he stay cool around a beautiful girl?

"Hi. Mind if I join you?"

"Oh, ah…sure."

She sat down next to him and glanced at the blueprint. Leo blushed at how close she was leaning in.

Astrid whistled.

"Man, that's way too complicated for me. I'm definitely more of a 'show me who to fight and I'll kick their butts' kind of person."

"I wish I were like that! You have no idea what it's like being the scrawniest guy in the universe."

Astrid laughed.

"I have some idea."

Leo didn't know what she meant by that, but she was talking to him which was more than he could have hoped for.

"So where is everybody?" He asked.

"Down belowdecks still. I just thought I'd keep you company. You must be freezing out here."

Leo stared at the palm of his hand that held the flame that kept him warm. He turned to Astrid.

"…You're not a monster are you?"

"Why would I be a monster?"

"Well it's only…girls who are this nice to me usually turn out to be evil. Or have boyfriends. Who could flatten me."

She laughed again.

"Well, I have a boyfriend, but he's not going to hurt you, trust me."

"Who?"

"Hiccup."

"Oh."

Just his luck. A girl who was into scrawny, wimpy, brainy guys and she had to be taken. And from another dimension.

Right on cue, Hiccup climbed up the stairs to join them. To Leo's relief, he didn't seem bothered by him being alone with his girlfriend.

Hiccup just kissed Astrid lightly on the forehead and sat down to pour over the blueprints with Leo.

"Valdez, you are one mad genius." Hiccup proclaimed.

Leo grinned at the complement.

"Let's go to my workshop. I'll have all the parts you'll need there."

"Okay."

Leo was beginning to like this kid. He was, after all, just one of many guys who had his dream girl. Leo couldn't hold that against him.

"Hey, what was that?" Leo said suddenly.

He had spotted a light flickering in the open sea.

Hiccup ran to the edge of the deck and peered over. He squinted to see but his eyes quickly widened in surprise.

"OUTCASTS!" He bellowed.

The other Vikings charged onto the scene with the other demigods.

"Where? Where?" Tuffnut yelled, having put his helmet on wrong so it covered his eyes.

"Over there, idiot!" Ruffnut snapped and Snotlout spun him around to face the right way.

"They're getting away!" Astrid screamed.

Frank knocked an arrow and aimed it at the light. It whizzed across the ocean but the light continued to glow farther and farther away.

"Oh man! Almost!" He cursed.

"Who were they?" Jason asked in consternation.

"Bad news for us." Hiccup answered."They're Vikings that got banished from Berk. Their leader Alvin is obsessed with taking us over. If he had spies on the island who saw you, that is not good."

On Outcast Island, Alvin threw away the remains of his dinner of roast chicken and belched.

Out of nowhere, a small man with a scraggly grey beard and a tattered vest burst into his hut breathing hard.

"Morgan Svenson, come to report, Chief!"

"Eh, ve'y good, Morgan. What do ye have for me, then?"

"Visitors on Berk, sar!"

"Eh, so wha'? Visitors alla time on Berk, innit there?"

"Yes, bu' I was watchin' the whol' time, see, an' one o' um, a lad….he can…can..."

"Forra lova Thor, spit it ou'!"

"He can turn hisself inta a dragon, sar!"

Alvin stared in shock for a second before breaking out into an evil grin.

"Interestin'."


	3. Chapter 3

Percy woke up thinking he was on the Argo.

When he opened his eyes, he saw wood paneling and heard a gentle lolling of an ocean, the sound that was inscribed in his blood and gave him energy.

But as soon as he shot up in the small carved bed, the other day came back to him just as Hiccup yawned from the floor, pulling a blanket off himself.

"Morning, Percy."

"You should have given me the floor." Percy answered guiltily.

Hiccup smiled.

"Man, you've just been through a shipwreck. You need good rest."

Percy got to his feet. He was clothed in thick woolen pajamas he had salvaged from the ship after the surprise Outcast encounter. He was used to just wearing boxers to sleep but he would have frozen his podex off if he had done that in this place.

Hiccup was putting on his fur vest.

"Meet me downstairs when you're ready." He instructed. "Everyone has strict orders to bring your friends to the mess hall on pain of Astrid."

Clearly, everyone couldn't sleep in the same house, so after dinner that night, they had divided up. While Percy went to Hiccup's home, Annabeth went with Astrid, Hazel and Piper with the twins, Leo and Jason with Snotlout, and Frank with Fishlegs. Percy was not happy about being separated from Annabeth but he didn't want to put the Haddocks out.

An argument met him at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm telling you Dad, they were Outcasts!"

"And I believe you! But what do you want me to do? Launch an invasion?"

"Well, no but they are clearly after the crew of the Argo, we have to do something to protect them."

"Hiccup they can't know about your new friends! Now if the Outcasts actually do something on Berk, fine, but for now we let it go."

Stoic said the last word so gruffly, there was no room for argument. Hiccup scowled as he looked at Percy on the stairwell, who was looking embarrassed to intrude on a family matter.

"C'mon, Percy." Hiccup ground out sourly, motioning to the door, walking to it without waiting up for him. Percy followed.

"Is, uh…everything okay with you and your dad?"

"Yeah…Yeah. I just told him about the Outcasts. He doesn't believe me that you were the targets. Typical. He never listens to me."

"If it makes you feel better, my dad didn't even talk to me for twelve years."

Hiccup laughed.

"But seriously, they're outcasts for a reason, right? I mean, you keep them away, so they can't be that tough."

Hiccup shook his head.

"They are that tough. And if my father won't do anything about it, you guys are in serious danger."

Percy ruminated on that until they got to the mess hall.

As promised, the other Vikings had brought Percy's friends and they were waiting on the steps.

"Hey guys!" Hiccup called, running forward. "Looks like you didn't have to murder anyone after all, Astrid."

"No but I gave it my best shot with Tuffnut."

"She really did…" Tuffnut complained, rubbing his nose.

Hazel and Piper had been chatting amicably with Tuffnut's sister and broke off to wave at Percy. Tuffnut looked annoyed at being the fourth wheel of a girl clique. Snotlout was patting a dismayed Leo hard on the back and Fishlegs seemed to be having an enthusiastic conversation with Frank about small animals, which Frank didn't seem to mind.

But where was…

Annabeth was complacently listening to the other girls' conversation and turned to grin at Percy.

He could tell she hadn't enjoyed being apart for the night any more than he did.

They sat next to each other as they all sat down inside for breakfast.

"Here, Hazel." Annabeth said, pushing a rectangular glob of bread onto the table. "We salvaged it from the ship this morning."

"Oh thank the gods." Hazel exclaimed gratefully, eating a small bite off. "My head's been killing me."

The Vikings stared as she removed her bandage, her head obviously healed.

"How—" Astrid stammered.

Hiccup gaped.

"Hazel, your head…there was a huge gash, you may have even gotten a concussion! You don't even have a scar!"

"Ambrosia." Annabeth explained. "It's what gods eat, but we can eat a little of it and it heals us."

"Of course it does." Astrid said.

"Anyway, now that she can think straight, we should all talk about what we should do about the Outcasts." Hiccup decided.

"I vote full scale invasion!" Snotlout called.

"Dad would never agree to that." Hiccup sighed.

"Small scale invasion, then!" Tuffnut amended.

"Tuff, what do you want us to do, go to Outcast Island and fight them, just us? You heard Hiccup, the Chief is not up for this." Astrid countered.

"Unless we can prove the Outcasts are after you guys." Hiccup said.

"Which is not going to happen unless something really bad happens." Fishlegs piped up nervously.

"So our best option here would be to get the Argo running before they do something." Jason concluded.

"And that means Leo Time." Leo added. "But first, uh…what's to eat in this joint?"

They had breakfast, even if Piper had been unhappy about it. The only thing they had to offer was meat, so she had had to break her no meat policy.

Leo immediately went to work on the Argo but the other demigods had nothing in particular to do. So, they tagged along with the Vikings as they went to the arena for their daily chores.

Percy's breath caught as they entered through the gated door. It was ten times bigger than the sword fighting pit at Camp Half-Blood. There were still severe chains and spikes everywhere left over from the days they killed dragons, he guessed.

He imagined the spectators that must have watched the killings from the top of the observation platforms and got a chill down his spine.

This place had a much friendlier atmosphere than he expected though, as just as they stepped into the gravel floor, several dragons burst happily out of a stable in the back. They seemed completely tamed because they wagged their tongues and nuzzled their masters just like Toothless had done with Hiccup.

A giant red one snarled playfully at Snotlout.

"Hey, Hookfang, glad to see you…ah! Watch the hair!"

The huge dragon had sneezed fire onto his master's head and Snotlout screamed and ran around with his hair lit up as his friends roared with laughter.

Laughing too, Percy waved a hand at a barrel of water and it burst out to spray the fire off of him as he slipped in a puddle.

"Thanks, dude." Snotlout grumbled, getting up and muttering about stupid dragons that never listened.

"Wow, she's beautiful." Piper breathed. She was patting a sleek dragon the size of a cow who purred and nuzzled her hand.

"Isn't she?" Astrid agreed, scratching the dragon, who nuzzled her as well. "This is my dragon, Stormfly."

"Please tell me we did not just eat dragon." Piper pleaded.

Astrid laughed.

"Nope. We don't eat them anymore. We had yak."

"I dunno what's worse."

Meanwhile, Frank was crouching beside Fishlegs and his pudgy, squat dragon.

"She's really sweet." Frank said in surprise as he pet it on its head.

Before anyone knew it, he had morphed into a copy of Fishleg's dragon. Fishlegs jumped and Frank returned to normal.

"Oops. Sorry. Didn't mean to do that." Frank muttered, blushing.

"Man, that's weird." Tuffnut grunted baldly.

"Tuffnut! Don't be rude!" Astrid scolded.

"Can you only turn in to dragons?" Hiccup asked him.

"Nah, I can do most animals." Frank said. "Dragons are actually the hardest."

"Wait, hold it guys." Hiccup whispered. "What if…what if the Outcasts know about Frank?"

A chill settled over the teenagers.

Suddenly, a roar and a sound like lightning over a rough sea took their attention.

"Uh, guys? I think we outta take care of that." Ruffnut said, who had been bathing her two headed dragon with her brother and Hazel.

Sure enough the sea storm was coming from the stables.

"Ah no, it's the Skrill and the Scouldron." Hiccup groaned.

"The what?" Percy asked flatly.

The stable door exploding answered his question.

A blue dragon that looked like a cross between a whale and an angler fish with water spiraling around him and a grey dragon with a lizard form and needle-like teeth that was generating lighting bounded onto the arena floor grappling and hissing.

"Out of their way!" Hiccup ordered.

Everyone took cover as a thunderstorm raged in the dome and water seeped everywhere.

They hid behind wooden barriers set up around the arena, shielding themselves from the typhoon like they were caught in a sudden hurricane.

From opposite sides Percy and Jason gave each other understanding nods and leaped out from behind their defenses.

Percy immediately took control of the water and pushed it back into the stables where it had been stored in water barrels. Jason took a voltage of lightning the grey dragon shot at him and redirected it to him, stunning him.

The thunderclouds disappeared.

Annabeth and Piper ran to them and alternatingly yelled at them, hugged them, and asked them if they were okay.

"That was awesome!" Hiccup exclaimed excitedly. "I've never seen someone handle dragons like that."

Ruffnut and Tuffnut tag teamed to wrestle the Scauldron back into its tank inside the stable .

As Snotlout and Astrid rock-paper-scissored to see who would have to drag the unconscious Skrill into the stables, Hiccup's dad appeared in the arena's entrance.

"Hello, son."

He beamed at Hazel.

"Ah, Hazel, lass! Ye look much better."

She smiled.

"Thanks, Mr. Haddock."

"Is everything okay, Dad?" Hiccup asked.

"No, son." He said seriously. "Some of our men found unidentified dragon eggs in the forest hunting. I want you kids to check it out."

"Yeah, okay. No problem, Dad. Well, hey"

Hiccup turned to the demigods.

"why don't you guys come with us? You really helped with that dragon fight."

"The village makes you investigate unknown dragons?" Percy asked, baffled. "Isn't that dangerous?"

Hiccup grinned.

"It's an occupational hazard."

They were deep into the woods and they still hadn't reached it.

Frank was leading the way with an arrow nocked at his bow. Hiccup was beside him, his hand on Toothless' head, who was shuffling on the grassy ground, tracking along with Frank.

Astrid brought up the rear with her axe ready. Annabeth had her dagger out, stepping in place with her.

"Hey Annabeth?" Astrid ventured. "Did I do anything to offend your friend Leo?"

"I don't think so." Annabeth answered. "He's usually the one doing the offending. Why?"

"He was avoiding me this morning. We talked last night, so I thought I might have said something to make him angry."

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"He probably has a thing for you. He falls for every girl he meets."

"That kinda guy, huh? So every girl?"

Annabeth grinned.

"Except for Piper because she's Jason's girlfriend, and me, because he's scared of me."

Astrid laughed.

"I wish Snotlout was scared of me, but since I've beat him up since we were five, I pretty much can't surprise him at this point."

As they laughed, Frank whispered "Guys, stop."

They had reached a grove where there stood an abandoned watchtower.

"I am not climbing that." Snotlout grumbled, pointing to the rickety ladder barely attached to the tower and with distressingly few rungs intact.

Hiccup mounted Toothless and Percy almost gagged as he noticed something else about him for the first time.

His foot.

One of his feet was false. It was a slab of metal bent into the shape of a foot so that it could sit in the stirrup of Toothless' saddle.

"What in the name of the gods happened to him?" Percy wondered aloud.

"What, his foot?" Astrid beamed as Hiccup soared up to the top of the tower.

"Few months back, we fought the biggest dragon in the world. Hiccup was really brave. We thought he was a goner, but he scraped by and only lost his foot."

"Guys, I found the eggs!" Hiccup shouted down.

"But why would they be there…?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah, why would a mother dragon leave her eggs here..?" Astrid wondered.

"She didn't." Hiccup breathed. "A mother dragon wouldn't leave eggs in the open. These eggs aren't abandoned. This is the nest. Run!"

Suddenly a green dragon even larger than Hookfang with the body shape of a bull and long sharp horns bowled into the group. Everyone sprawled in the forest floor covered in dirt and scrapes.

It dove for them again and Percy got to his feet and uncapped Riptide, stabbing it in its belly.

"Percy, no!" Frank shouted.

"Frank, it'll kill us!"

"It's just a mom trying to defend her babies! I'll try to talk to her!"

It seemed to take all his concentration, but he changed himself into whatever kind of dragon it was.

They roared at one another until she perched on the watchtower and Frank became human again.

"She's letting us go. Move, before she changes her mind."

"You guys look like you all got Tyson-style bear hugs." Leo chuckled, meeting the party at the edge of the woods. He was covered in grease and his hair looked like he had gotten it caught on fire several times.

"We look awful." Astrid corrected.

"That's what I said." Leo said cheerfully, not meeting her eyes.

"Get them home, Valdez." Frank told him, nocking an arrow. "I got something to take care of."

"What?" Hazel asked him.

He gave her a quick hug.

"I just, uh…want to make sure the dragon isn't following us, that's all."

When they were gone, he leveled the arrow at an old tree in the middle of his vision.

"Okay, come on out."

A man in an old fur vest and unkempt hair emerged from behind the tree, smiling maliciously.

"Ye got the sense of a real archer, boy."

Frank tried to give him a withering look.

"I may have been brain dead for a while, but I'm good enough to know when I'm being followed. Who are you?"

The man laughed harshly.

'Th' name's Morgan, lad.'

"You're an Outcast." Frank guessed.

"As charged, Gov." Morgan responded.

"Why were you following us?"

"T'aint it obvious? We're after you son."

"Me? Why…? Wait, so you are after me and my friends!"

"Bingo."

"Why me in particular?"

Morgan laughed again.

"I should think that was even more obvious, dragon boy."

Shock made Frank reel but he also quickly formed a plan.

"If I go with you Outcasts, to your island…you'll leave Berk, won't you? If all you want is to use me for your plans."

Morgan grinned but he seemed to be trying to figure out Frank's game.

"I s'pose, lad."

"Then I'll go with you."

Morgan's eyes flashed with disbelief but eventually he shrugged and said

"Come wit' me, then."

As Morgan passed him Frank smirked and stabbed an arrow into a nearby tree unseen and followed.


	4. Chapter 4

The morning after their…adventure with the mother dragon, Percy and Hiccup were walking to the mess hall, their hair mused, their eyes sleepy. Hiccup was telling Percy about all the mishaps he got himself into training Toothless. As Percy laughed, Hiccup stopped short and his jaw set as he saw every else was already there.

Unlike the previous day, they were whispering anxiously. Astrid had her hand on Annabeth's shoulder, who looked like she was trying to work out a very difficult problem.

When Astrid saw the two boys, she ran over and grabbed Hiccup's arm.

"Oh thank the gods you've come. Something awful's happened."

"What is it?" Hiccup asked, clutching her arm back.

"Frank's gone." Fishlegs informed them miserably.

"He never came back last night." Astrid elaborated. "Not to any of our houses either."

"You don't think that mother dragon…" Percy began to suggest uneasily.

But Hiccup said "She recognized him as one of her own. She wouldn't have hurt him."

Jason flew down from above and landed next to Percy. He shook his head dejectedly.

"Nowhere. I searched the whole forest, the cliffs, the fields, the beech, nothing."

"Um..." Leo grinned self-consciously. "You sure he wasn't, like, a grazing yak you saw or something?"

Jason glared at him.

"Shut up, Leo."

"Sorry, bro. Just trying to be the optimist in the room."

Percy cursed.

"Where's Hazel? Does she know yet?"

"Yes." Astrid said. She looked sympathetic. "She went to look in the forest. Poor kid. First her brother goes missing, now her boyfriend."

Snotlout snorted.

"No point in looking. Jason already said he's not there. Why's she bothering?"

"Because…" Annabeth breathed, like something was dawning on her. "Because she's not an idiot! She figured out what must have happened!"

They found her at the edge of the forest, where they had left Frank.

She was running her hands over the bark of trees, one by one. She had her eyes closed as if she were trying to sense something underground as well.

"Hi guys." She said absently, continuing her work.

"Um...what are you doing?" Hiccup asked flatly.

"You know how Frank said he was going to check on the dragon?" Hazel reminded him. 'Well, that was a lie. Someone was on our tail."

"Outcasts." Tuffnut snarled, punching his open palm, his expression hard. Ruffnut nodded.

"Argh, I told Dad this would happen! Why doesn't he ever listen?" Hiccup exploded, clenching his fists and pacing.

"Hiccup, calm down." Astrid said soothingly. "We'll find him. Don't worry."

"But Hazel," Hiccup said "if the Outcasts have him, what are you looking for here?"

"Well, see, if he knew someone was following us, that means they didn't take him by surprise. Meaning he went willingly. Meaning he must have…left…a…message…aha!"

She ran to a nearby tree. Sticking out of it was one of Frank's Imperial Gold trick arrows.

"Hazel, couldn't he have just shot that at an Outcast?" Hiccup rationalized.

"No, the angle and depth isn't right." Hazel answered.

"Even so, why would he go with them?" Piper wondered.

Jason grimaced.

"Alone against who knows how many Outcasts? He wouldn't have stood a chance. Safer to get captured."

"And it was exactly what they wanted." Annabeth murmured.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"Think about it. Hiccup, you said the Outcasts want to control dragons. And you said yourself those spies were after Frank. What's better than a hostage that can turn into a dragon? They were after him all along. And what do invaders do if they don't get what they want out of a place?"

"They burn it to the ground." Hiccup exhaled. "He just saved all our lives."

"But then, what do we do now?" Percy asked. "We can't just leave him there."

Hiccup turned to him with his brows knit and his expression stony.

"We plan our own invasion."

Frank lost track of time. He had been in the dank hold of the Outcasts' ship for what felt like hours. He had tried to escape a dozen times, but the strong chains constraining his arms and legs prevented him. Whenever he tried to morph, his grown form cut into the bonds that wouldn't break and his transformations were canceled out.

As he gave up turning into a dragon or elephant or other large animal to escape and was pulling on his handcuffs as a human, the door of the hold opened, bathing him in light that made him blink.

He growled and struggled with his bonds as his hair fell over his eyes, obscuring the Outcast leader before him.

"Con'for'ble, lad?"

"Oh yeah, real five star hotel you got here." Frank grit out. "Come over here and I'll show you my appreciation."

Alvin laughed boisterously.

"Alrigh', Dragon Boy." He managed through his fit of chuckling. "I admire yer spunk. You'n me'll be good friends, like."

"Right. I'm sure we'll have matching friendship bracelets by the end of the day."

He raised his eyebrows as the beefy man worked on his chains. "What are you doing?"

"Takin' ye ashore." Alvin told him. "Yer new home sweet home."

The Outcast Island Frank thought.

"So, what are you going to do to me?" Frank said dryly as Alvin led him by the chains, tugging him so that he stumbled forward.

He just grinned evilly.

"Sure, go ahead." Frank said dully. "Try keeping a dragon chained. Because that's worked so well for you in the past."

The procession through Outcast Island was like a nightmare version of Hiccup leading them through Berk.

All the houses were small huts that were falling apart. The people and livestock looked half starved. There were spikes and bones everywhere.

As they progresses, Alvin's Outcast flunkies began to flank him. One was Morgan who leaned close to Frank and whispered smugly:

"Le' see those huntin' skills save ya now, boy."

Frank just glared at him.

They eventually came to an arena like the one on Berk, only it was much more crudely made. They unshackled him and pushed him in, shutting the gates as they followed.

"Congratulations. You got me." Frank spat sarcastically, rubbing his wrists as Alvin approached him. "So now what are you chuckleheads gonna do with me?"

"Ain't you figured noffin'?" Morgan sneered. He and several over men leveled spears at him.

"Ye gonna be our prizefighter, laddie." Alvin said, putting his ugly face with smelly breath right in Frank's face. "We don' need Stoick's welp's dragon book if'n we got you. Ye gonna fight them miserable dragonriders for our side or else."

His men shoved their spears closer to Frank's chest.

Frank laughed, throwing his head back and clutching his stomach.

"Oh man." He wheezed. "That's your big plan? Control a dragon? When that's the one thing you can't do?"

As he spoke Frank's skin scaled, his eyes reddened, and his nose protruded into a snout.

Suddenly he was a very large dragon swatting two Outcasts into the arena fence.

But his upper hand didn't last long.

Soon a dozen, two dozen men stormed the arena and swarmed him. They speared him, slashed his hide with blades, shot arrows at him until he fell, overwhelmed in the dust.

He roared desperately as they tied him with ropes. He thrashed and Alvin stalked up to him, smashing his boot onto Frank's snout, making him wince.

"Oh, I thin' we c'n handle one dragon jus' fine, Frankie me boy." He enunciated in a menacing hush. He called to his men:

"Take 'em inside!"

Frank reverted to a human form, Alvin's boot on his face. Frank stared at him murderously.

Two Outcasts hauled him up roughly and tossed him into the back stables of the arena, closing the double doors on him.

He dusted himself off, grunting. He was covered in blood and wounds. He had a bit of ambrosia in his pocket so he took it out and munched it. Swallowing, he turned to look at his surroundings.

The hair on his neck stood up.

There, backed in the farthest recess of the pen were as many dragons in as many ugly variety as the Outcasts who just put him in there.

In contrast to the dragons on Berk, they were wild animals. Their nostrils flares, they hissed and grunted savagely. They obviously weren't being fed enough, nor were they groomed or regularly exercised.

Frank almost passed out until he remembered.

Oh yeah. I'm a dragon too. His nerves made it hard but he turned himself into the kind of dragon Hookfang was. It would be the easiest if he had to get in a fight.

But the oldest looking dragon, a, what was it, Deadly Nadder? Looked at him straight in the eyes.

Brother? It rumbled sort of inside Frank's mind the way Percy described how it was talking to sea creatures or horses.

Frank began to think Great I made myself some new playmates, how does that help me? But then he realized.

His new playmates were an army of dangerous magical creatures. Dangerous magical creatures that didn't want to be here any more than he did. Dangerous creatures that just may listen to him.

Oh. I could work with that.


	5. Chapter 5

It was pitch black on the cliff overlooking Berk's coast.

Percy checked Toothless' bridle again and again, going over The Plan in his head.

He and Hazel infiltrate Outcast Island. Check. Get Frank the heck out of there. Check. Get back alive while everyone else shored up Berk's defenses.

Hopefully check.

Stoick and Annabeth were seeing them off.

Annabeth gave them both hugs. She lingered a bit on his.

"Be safe, Seaweed Brain." She whispered into his chest.

"I will. Don't worry."

Stoick ruffled Hazel's hair warmly and shook his hand.

"Godspeed, son."

"Thank you, sir."

Percy helped Hazel onto the dragon, who roared encouragingly.

They had no problems taking off. Percy was used to riding pegasi which were virtually the same, and Hazel was probably the best horse rider to come out of Rome since Caesar's time.

Hazel silently clutched Percy's back.

"Hey, it'll be okay." He promised. "Frank's going to be fine."

"I know." She murmured, putting her hand on the jacket pocket that still had Frank's life.

Percy nodded.

"Right. Nothing will happen to him as long as you-"

"PERCY, TO THE LEFT!"

At the last moment, he veered Toothless to the left, saving them from burning to death. They barely missed the mass of fire that seared toward them.

"Wild dragons." Percy ground out. "Okay, Toothless, step it up!"

Toothless seemed to understand. He set his jaw and dove. Three large dragons with spiky red scales and yellow fangs were on their tail but Toothless seemed to have it under control.

He feinted and rolled, dodged and dove confidently.

Until the smallest dragon caught his bluff when he swerved to the right at the last second and scratched his hide nastily.

Toothless roared in pain and spiraled listlessly.

"We're gonna crash!' Hazel shouted.

Percy groaned with effort as he tried to steer the dragon to land on a small patch of island. Their landing wasn't smooth but it was on sand at least.

Percy shook himself off and gave Hazel a hand as she stood spitting out a mouthful of beach.

"Where are we?" She asked, bending down to inspect Toothless.

Percy consulted the map.

"Outcast Island." he said in disbelief. "We actually made it. Good job, buddy."

He smiled at Toothless who purred through the pain of a gash down his side.

Percy took off his backpack and unraveled a strip of gauze he had in the front pocket.

As he bandaged the dragon up, Hazel drew her sword and hissed

"Get down."

They maneuvered Toothless behind a rock. Two grubby men in dented Viking helmets walked past spitting and making crude jokes punctuated by ugly laughs.

"Let's follow them." Percy suggested. "They may lead us to Frank."

Leaving Toothless to rest, they followed.

They snuck behind the small, worn huts dotting the rocky landscape, trailing the Outcasts.

They eventually found themselves obscured in the shadows of a large arena where their targets relieved guards in front of what looked like a holding cell.

Percy and Hazel nodded to each other. Percy drew Riptide, Hazel raised her spatha and they snuck up behind the guards.

Simultaneously they lowered their blades on the men's heads, knocking them out.

Percy cut the lock on the cell and they crept inside.

Their eyes got used to the light and to their relief they saw a human figure sitting on a barrel.

Frank looked unhurt and perfectly happy, petting a small green dragon on his lap.

He grinned broadly and stood up, the dragon scampering away.

"Guys you found-"

Hazel cut him off with a tight hug.

"Frank, you're alright, oh thank goodness, we didn't know if you…what happened?" She demanded, burying her face into his chest, obviously trying not to cry.

Percy got the impression that if he wasn't there, she'd have kissed him.

Frank stroked her hair tenderly.

"I'm okay. I'm sorry I worried you."

He explained how the Outcasts had captured him and their plans to use him in an invasion of Berk.

"So Hiccup was right." Percy breathed. "Alvin is planning war on Berk. We have to let Stoick know. Frank, come on, we have to get you out of here so you can tell him."

"No, wait, I have a better idea." Frank said calmly.

They stared at him in shock.  
"Frank, we're not…" Hazel spluttered. "We're not just leaving you here!"

"But you have to!" He insisted. "Watch."

He whistled and the small dragon he had been holding ran up and stood at attention, wagging his tail.

"I've been talking to the dragons." He explained. "They listen to me. They think I'm a dragon too. I am a dragon too." He seemed to suddenly realize, raising an eyebrow.

"Wow, that's weird." He said. "But the point is, they listen to me and that's what Alvin is banking on. I'm banking on it too."

"What?" Percy asked. Hazel just looked at him tight-lipped, her eyes watery.

Frank smiled slyly. "He wants me to lead his dragon strike force against Berk. What do you think will happen if I tell them to do, oh, something just a bit different?"

Percy grinned slowly, cottoning on.

"Awesome."

"Not awesome." Hazel protested. "Frank, we came here to rescue you."

"I know. But this way, we can all get out of this. Trust me."

"Of course I trust you, but—"

There was groaning outside.

"Oh no, the guards are waking up." Percy whispered.

"Go!" Frank commanded. "Before they raise the alarm. I'll see you guys when the Outcasts invade. For now, you have to get back and tell Stoick what's going on."

Percy clasped Frank's shoulders.

"You're really brave, you know that?"

Frank smiled.

"Really stupid, maybe."

Hazel bore into Frank with her golden eyes, still trying to keep her emotions level.

Suddenly, not being able to take it, she kissed him. Percy blushed and averted his eyes.

When she pulled away, Frank's eyes twinkled.

"Come back safe? Please?"

"I will." He said softly. "Now go."

They rushed to the door. Hazel looked back, her eyes sparkling as Frank waved and they slowly shut the cell in from the cold, desolate night.


	6. Chapter 6

Annabeth paced Raven's Point restlessly.

Percy should have been back hours ago. Dawn was creeping into the blackness, casting a warm glow on the island and she was feeling more and more anxious. What if something had gone wrong? What if the Outcasts found them? If she lost Percy again...

As she continued to retrace her steps around the bluff, a girl with her shade of blond hair approached her.

"Have you been here all night?" Astrid asked her. Annabeth nodded.

"Don't worry." Astrid insisted. "They'll be back soon."

"I hope so." Annabeth said, finally stoping her relentless movement to sit down in the grass.

"Don't worry!" Astrid said again forcefully. "Toothless is a great dragon, he can get them out of any—there they are!"

Sure enough, a black dot was closing in on the bluff.

Annabeth jumped to her feet as it came into view.

As she hoped, it was Toothless, carrying Percy and Hazel back to Berk.

Toothless landed next to them with a triumphant roar but his two riders dismounted looking sullen.

Annabeth ran to hug Percy but Astrid looked around, becoming paler.

"Where's Frank?"

Annabeth disentangled herself from Percy to look inquiringly into his face.

Hazel wouldn't look at any of them. Percy hung his head and mumbled

"He...said it was better if he stayed. Said he has a plan."

Both girls looked at him in surprise.

"A plan." Astrid said flatly. "What plan, exactly?"

Percy glanced at Hazel with a pained expression.

"Maybe we should wait until everyone's here." he said.

"What are we waiting for?" Snotlout demanded over the sounds of the twins seemingly trying to kill each other when Percy had finished the story.

They were all in the mess hall and they had just filled everyone in on what had happened on Outcast Island.

"We should just take our dragons and invade their crummy island!" he concluded.

"And ruin Frank's plan?" Hiccup asked. "That could really be our last chance to beat these guys."

"Yeah, but-"

"You know, that's not such a bad idea." Jason said slowly.

Everyone turned to him.

"What do you mean?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, bro, you heard what the big guy said" Leo told him somewhat resentfully. "He's got this huge important plan we can't mess with."

Hazel glared at him and was about to respond when Astrid put up her hands.

"Even if we could attack them directly...Jason, you guys don't know how to ride dragons that well." she reasoned.

Jason grinned.

"Then teach us."

"What?"

The twins stopped fighting to hear him.

"Teach us how to ride dragons." Jason said. "Even if Frank doesn't want us to attack just yet, the Outcats will come here eventually. Teach us and we can help you guys defend this place, give Frank whatever aid he'll need when he puts this plan into action."

Everyone watched Hiccup. He didn't resond right away but looked at the floor, deep in thought.

"Percy and Hazel did so well with Toothless." Jason argued. "Think how much better defended we'll be if we can all do that."

Hiccup looked up and slowly grinned.

"I like it. Lets teach you guys how to train dragons."

A few hours later, the demigods found themselves in the arena, each paired with a dragon.

Piper, Hazel, and Annabeth had chosen beautiful Deadly Nadders like Astrid's. Jason and Percy had comandered the Skrill and Scouldron they had tamed. Leo had settled on a Monstrous Nightmare, probably because it was the most fiery.

Hiccup was a patient teacher. He corrected Piper's grip, who was wobbling because she was holding on the way she was taught with Pegasi.

"You have to dig in more, it won't hurt them." Hiccup said.

"Like this?"

"That's it!"

Jason was having the most trouble, much to Percy's amusement.

"I'm-not used—to flying-something else..." he grunted.

Leo was already doing laps in the sky on his Nightmare, laughing crazily.

He eventually crashed into the stables and the twins laughed, giving each other high fives.

"Good one." Tuffnut managed through his wheezing laughs.

Leo emerged from the stables and spit hay out of his mouth.

"Yeah, really funny."

Piper, having corrected her grip, was flying in circles where Leo had been. She pointed to a few bullseyes mounted on football goal-sized posts.

"What are those for?" she asked.

"Target practice on the dragons." Hiccup said. "You see how well you can hit the target with a weapon or whatever while you're flying."

Piper set her jaw in determination and her dragon swooped higher, diving past the bullseye.

Just as they soared past it Piper whispered "Now, girl."

The Nadder let loose the spikes on her back and they launched like magnets drawn to metal, sticking with a satisfying thunk into the dead center of the target.

Piper stoped her dragon to see how she did and looked taken aback.

Everyone stared in stunned silence.

Hiccup began to give a wide, excited grin.

"You guys keep this up" he said "and the Outcasts won't stand a chance."


	7. Chapter 7

Frank dreamed he was home.

Not his grandmother's place in Vancouver (when had he stopped thinking of it as his home?) but Camp Jupiter.

He and Hazel were laughing and eating ice cream as they walked down the main street of New Rome, holding hands.

Vaguely, he knew they weren't at home that summer but on a quest. And that he wasn't sure he'd still have a girlfriend by the end of it with Leo around. Though that kiss Hazel gave him the other day was a step in the right direction.

As if she knew he was thinking of her, she turned her head and in that Southern drawl he always found so appealing said

Brother, wake up

Frank's eyes shot open to a dimly lit stable filled with hay and half a dozen dragons looking at him in concern.

A small one was nestled on his chest. He gently put it on the hay without waking it up.

The old Nadder he had since learned was nicknamed All-Father approached him.

"You mustn't let them catch you asleep, brother." he warned. "When you are supposed to be, ah, taking care of us."

The dragon's eyes gleamed with mirth.

Frank smirked. "We wouldn't want that would we?"

"I hope it was a good dream." All-Father said as Frank got up.

"Uh...yeah...yeah it was."

"You called your mate's name in your sleep, the one who came here to rescue you."

Frank blushed. "Oh...well, anyway..." he coughed. "Um..."

The Nadder growled and turned his head just as the front door burst open and Alvin walked in.

"Hello, laddie." he greeted Frank. "Enjoying your new home away from home, are ye?"

Frank glared.

Alvin chuckled.

"Tha's allrigh', boyo. You take yer time. Meanwhile, I got a job for ya."

"I'm not going to do anything you want." Frank snarled defiantly. He knew his plan hinged on Alvin thinking he was cooperating, but he couldn't help it.

Alvin kicked him in the stomach and he reeled.

"As I was sayin'" Alvin continued calmly "A scoutin' detail from Berk's knocking on our Odin lovin' door. I want you to knock them out of the sky."

Frank paled "Wh-what?"

What was going on? He had told them to lay low!

Alvin put some chains on his wrists and marched him out of the stables.

Down the dirt paths the inhabitants of Outcast island were all looking up into the sky. A small dark shape circled high above, high enough Frank was sure the person thought they couldn't be seen.

Alvin unshackled him and pushed him forward.

"Do your stuff, boyo." he said quietly.

Frank gave him a dirty look and made sure to knock him over as he turned into a large, green dragon and kicked off.

He soared higher and higher until he could make out the shapes...a brown haired boy on a black dragon.

Hiccup!

Hiccup looked at Frank and started but when Frank didn't blast him out of the sky, he blinked and whispered

"Frank?"

Frank nodded.

"Oh man, we have to talk, can you..."

Frank was way ahead of him. He glided above Toothless and changed back falling onto the saddle behind him.

"Oh! Okay! That works. Great to see you!"

"Yeah, you too." Frank exclaimed.

"Now that your here, there's something I gotta..."

A cannon blast cut Hiccup off and the next thing Frank knew they were falling, falling and he was crashing into trees and thudding against the ground.

He moaned in pain as he got up. They were on a small island just off Outcast. Frank thanked the gods it had been forested, cushioning their fall but then he turned over.

Hiccup was lying on his back, teeth clenched and hands over a gaping wound on his chest.

The cannon fire must have had shrapnel Frank thought wildly as he scrambled to his side.

"Hang on, I got some gauze, oh man, oh man..." Frank murmured as he fumbled with a strip of bandages from him pocket. "Oh man, why'd you ever come here, Hiccup?"

"That's...what I was...trying to tell you..." Hiccup wheezed weakly. "Your friends...we're training them...riding dragons...we're ready for Alvin...volunteered to scout out how ready he is...tell you if I could..."

"Don't try to talk." Frank said firmly. He lifted Hiccup fireman style and put him on Toothless' back, who had been frantically licking Hiccup's wounds.

"Take him home, boy." He said and Toothless flew into the sky.

So they were ready, huh? Maybe his plan was ready to be put into action.

A few minutes later he made his way to Outcast Island. He slowly approached Alvin and his cronies still waiting for him.

"Well?" Alvin snarled.

"I—I couldn't catch him." Frank lied.

Alvin glared, obviously not bying it. But he grinned.

"Tha's fine, lad. Because your gonna have yerself a nodder chance real soon."

"Um...what?"

Alvin grinned wider.

"Berk sendin' a dragon rider here's an act o' aggression. Act o' war. No reason to hold back now."

He gave a hearty, ugly laugh.

"Yer goin' ta Berk, lad."


	8. Chapter 8

It was well after dark by the time Frank saw the familiar imposing statues in Berk's bay as he flew over the island.

Alvin was grinning, straddling his back. Frank trained his dragon eyes on the village nervously. If his plan backfired, it would all go up in smoke.

"Okay, laddie" Alvin snarled. "This is your big chance to get back inta me good graces. Order the attack."

Frank shot him as dirty a look as a dragon could, turned his head with a snort and roared.

People in the houses below began to come out to see what was going on. Some were raising the alarm. Some were getting weapons and armor.

He couldn't see his friends, though the dragons almost drove them from his mind.

At his command the fleet of dragons carrying Outcasts warriors stopped, growled defiantly and calmly shook their riders over the edge.

Some of the men fell into the sea but some fell into town, relatively unhurt.

Uh oh...not the best idea

"Wha's going on, lad?" Alvin yelled. "Ye've betrayed us?"

Frank grunted and dive bombed for land, crashing into the center of town.

Alvin was dazed and injured but Frank was back to human, healthier than ever.

"Duh." He said and struck Alvin square between the eyes. Alvin fell listlessly to the ground

Shaking his wrist, he tried to think. The Outcasts were beginning to recover. The dragons were trying to fight their riders but they only succeeded in burning a few houses down.

Frank began to run wildly through the chaos to the first place he could think to find his friends: Hiccup's house.

He dodged a burning beam, picked up a fallen sword and fended off an Outcast with it as he made his way through town.

As soon as he burst through the door he heard the moaning.

Hiccup was lying on some blankets in the main room, clutching his stomach, his father, friends, and the crew of the Argo hovering over him. Stoic was wiping his brow while Astrid held his hand.

They all looked up and there was almost a collective cry of "Frank!"

Hazel rushed over and for the second time, kissed him without caring who was watching.

"How did you get away?" she breathed finally.

"Plan worked." he explained laconically. "Too well. The Outcasts are on the island. The dragons and the villagers are fighting them but we need to help."

"Great, but trouble is" Leo said, obviously trying not to look at Hazel still in Frank's arms "Hiccup's still hurt and there's no time for him to heal."

Frank thought for a second.

"...What if..." he said tentatively "What if we gave him ambrosia?"

"Frank, that would kill him." Annabeth pointed out.

"No..."Hiccup croaked. Everyone looked at him.

"No..." he said again. "There's a legend...Berk founded by gods...their descendants...living there...maybe true...please try..."

"You think...you think you guys have immortal blood?" Percy asked.

"Hiccup, that's insane!" Astrid protested. "And if you're wrong, you'll die."

"Try..."

Percy looked at Annabeth and she nodded.

He took a package from his pocket and broke off a piece of bread-like food.

"Here, man" he said. "Hope this works."

Hiccup chewed with effort. For a minute they couldn't tell if it worked. He continued to chew with his eyes screwed up.

Suddenly he sat up, grinning madly.

Everyone cheered and Astrid hugged him fiercely.

"Phew, can't believe that worked." Frank muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Me neither" Hiccup laughed, pushing himself to his feet. "Now it's our turn."


	9. Chapter 9

It was chaos.

Hiccup stumbled out of his house, still somewhat weak and supported by Astrid to see the village on fire.

"It's the dragons." he said "They're trying to help but, well...the houses are in the way."

"What do we do?" Snotlout asked, uncharacteristically serious.

Percy uncapped Riptide. "We fight."

There was a growl behind them and they all turned.

Toothless was sitting obediently in the middle of the excitement, six dragons flanking him; the ones the demigods had trained with.

Hiccup smiled slowly. "Yeah. We fight."

Frank, however, had something else in mind.

As his friends mounted their dragons he ran through the village weaving through villagers putting out fires and Outcasts.

"Alvin!" he screamed.

He skidded to a halt just in time to narrowly miss a thrown battle ax that stuck with a sickening thud onto the ground.

He turned and saw Alvin smirking and lowering his throwing arm.

"Ye called, laddie?"

Frank scowled and pulled the ax out of the ground.

"Maybe I wasn't finished playing."

"Mebee I wasnae either, lad."

Frank launched himself at the Outcast who dodged the swing of the ax. Frank used the momentum to make a back swing that hit another Outcast behind him and turned it around to block a blow from Alvin.

Frank held his ground but he was not used to this kind of fighting and Alvin wore him down.

Frank's strength gave out and Alvin knocked the ax from his hands.

Frank lost his balance, fell, and Alvin put a boot gloatingly on his chest.

"Berk is mine, boy." he spat.

"Don't think so, dude!"

A large Monstrous Nightmare with Leo on his back suddenly flew down and shot flame at Alvin who jumped back.

When he turned around again instead of a teenage boy, a fully grown elephant raised his foot, poised to crush him.

Another blast of fire knocked him on his back and Frank the elephant secured him with a very big foot on his chest.

On the rest of Berk the tide of the battle was turning. The villagers and the demigods with dragons were easily dominating the Outcasts who did not.

Percy was helping with fire patrol summoning water from the nearby ocean, his Scouldron helping.

As the Outcasts began to retreat, the demigods and Hiccup's friends began to crowd around Alvin and Frank, who turned human and sat on Alvin's chest.

Immediately Percy and Jason sprang forward and helped restrain him.

They held him by the arms as he struggled and Hiccup walked up to him.

"You lose, Alvin. Berk is ours. Give up."

"Neve-"

He was cut short by Frank who picked him up with a full grown elephant trunk and threw him as hard as he could.

Alvin landed with a splash in the ocean and they watched him swim desperately for a quickly retreating Outcast ship.

A few days later, Leo announced the Argo was ready to sail.

They all gathered at the docks to say goodbye.

Hiccup shook Percy's hand while Astrid gave Annabeth a quick hug.

"He'll be back, you know." Percy said.

"That's okay." Hiccup told him. "When he does you guys can come back and help us."

Toothless barreled up to him to lick his face.

"Okay, okay boy" Percy laughed. "I'll miss you too."

Hiccup turned to Frank.

"Thank you." he said. "You know, you're the bravest dragon I've ever known."

Frank smiled. Hazel grinned and took Frank's hand which made him smile wider.

Stoick clasped him on the shoulder.

"Yes, thank you, lad." he handed Frank a map. "If you go to the place you came into our ocean marked here, you should get back to yours. May the gods give you safe journey."

The vikings waved as they boarded the Argo and sailed off.

On the deck Hazel, still holding Frank's hand, looked back on the island receding in the distance.

"Wow..." she breathed. "Nico is not going to believe this."


End file.
